Grading, fleshing, and evening machine



Jan.. 14, 1930. v AICOGSWELL 1,743,320

GRADING, FLESHING, AND EVENING MACHINE V Filed June 16, 1924 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 jar/6% 1' T.) I v $76. 6 swei- Z Jan. 14, 1930. 1.. A. COGSWELL 1,743,320

GRADING, FLESHING, AND EVENING MACHINE Filed Jun 16, 1924 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 14, 1939. 1.. A. coeswzu. v

GRADING, FLESHING, AND EVENING MACHINE Jan. 14, 1930. A, C SWELL 1,743,320

GRADING, FLESHING, AND EVENINGMACHINE Filed June 16, 1924 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 J I QyawaZZ, Q91

Jan. 14, 1930. L CQGSWELL 1,743,320

GRADING, FLESI 'IING, AND EVENING MACHINE Filed June 16, 1924 7 Sheet Sheet 5 Jan. 14, 1930. L. A. COGSWELL 1,743,320.

GRADING, FLESHING, AND EVENING MACHINE Filed June 16; .1924 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Z, Hanger gi gqswezz,

Jan. 14, 1930. L. A. COGSWELL GRADING, FLESHING, AND EVENING MACHINE 7Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 16, 1924 v/JT Patented Jan. 14, 1930 ETED STATS LEANIDER A. COGSWELL, 0F MANCHESTER,

1*- All NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO LACENE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MANCHESTER, NEVJ HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE Application filed June 16,

nature.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a machine capable of grading all blanks, as by marking them in accordance with their thickness grade, and of fleshing only those within predetermined limits of thickness, and of evening those in excess of said limits, and of merely grading without cutting or skiving those below said limits.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a novel and improved gate opening device, actuated by the passage of the blank, of the kind that opens the gate to admit a succeeding blank to the machine before the preceding blank has left the machine for the purpose of increasing the rate of output of the machine, which is simple and more effective than heretofore especially for thin, light blanks, and which is preferably operated by the same blank engaging member that operates the marking mechanism.

Another feature of the invention is to provide an adjusting device for the skiving roller equipped with a novel stop. construction for limiting the adjustment which determines the normal distance at which the skiving roller is set from the skiving knife.

Another feature of the invention is to provide fieshing or skiving mechanism which will skive the blank to the full extent for which the parts are adjusted, that is, which will cut 05 a layer of the full thickness permitted by the skiving rollers and knife, only at the margins of the blank, leaving the middle area of the blank of its original thickness, or at least of a thickness greater than the margins.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a set of tannage marking wheels, associated with the grade marking wheel, in a grading or fieshing-machine of the kind described.

The foregoing features, and others hereinafter mentioned, may all be used in combination in one and the same machine, and in GRADING, FLESHING, AND EVENING MACHINE 1924. Serial No 720,215.

various sub-combinations, and in some instances separately in a grading and/or fleshng machine, as will appear from the followlng description, and such uses are contemplated by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a grading, fleshing and evening machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation opposite to that shown in Fig. 1; I

Fig. 4 is an end elevation viewed from the right of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section" on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a cross section on line 6-6, of Fig. 2;

Figs. 7 8, 9, and 10 are enlarged details of the tannage and grade stamping or marking wheels hereinafter described; and

Fig. 11 is a detail of skiving rollers of modified form for skiving the blank only or principally at the margins.

For convenience I have embodied the present invention in one of the well-known commercial types of Nichols grading machines, such as that described in the Nichols Patent No. 1,130,321, dated March 2, 1915, to which reference is made for a description of the general construction and operation of many of the parts used to exemplify the combinatlons of the present invention.

The blanks are fed into the machine as usual from a table 1, between guides 2, 2, to the feed rolls 3 and 4. The upper roll 3 is mounted in ournal boxes 5, 5 which are held stationary during the operation of the machine but are vertically adjustable in slide ways of the machine frame by means of screws 6, 6 worm gears 7, 7, and worms 8, 8, on hand shaft 9; and the lower roll 4, which is also the feeler or detector roll, is yieldingly supported by journal boxes 10, 10, which slide in the same ways of the frame as the upper journal boxes 5, 5, and are normally pressed upwardly by a spring 11, (Fig. 6) acting through levers 12, 12, and yoke or crossbar 13, whose ends are attached to the under side of the journal boxes 10, 10, all substantially as shown in said patent.

The rolls 3 and-.4 feed the blank forward 'between a continuously traveling chain 14 and a yielding, spring pressed shoe 15, which presses the blank down firmly into engagement with the chain, so that the latter will continue to carry the blank forward after it leaves the rolls 3 and 4, and present it to the nip of .the skiving and delivery rolls 16 and 17, which are located just in front of a fixed skiving or splitting blade 18. V

The up and down motion of the feeler roll 4 in response to the varying thickness of a blank is transmitted to a lever 19 through a pair of links 20 and a spring 21. The links 20 pass loosely through holes in lever 19 and have nuts on their ends to lift the lever 19 when the feeler roll 4 rises, and the spring 21 tends to depress the lever 19 when the feeler roll 4 moves downward. The lever 19 is fulcrumed on the machine frame at 22 and 1s made wlth a rack or gear segment 23 at its free end which meshes with a gear segment 24 loose on rock shaft 25. The shaft 25 has increment of the feeler roll will turn the shaft 25 in a clockwise direction.

Fast on rock shaft 25 is another gear seg ment 23, (Fig. 1) which meshes with a rack on the bottom of sliding bar 29. The bar 29 has another rack on its side engaging a pinion 30 on the lower end of a vertical shaft 31, which carries another pinion 32 at its top in mesh with a rack on the slide bar 33 mounted transversely in the cross head of the machine. An adjustable stop 29 limits the movement of bar 29 t0 the right. 7

Fixed to rock shaft 25 is a ratchet wheel 34 (Fig. 5) made with two sets of teeth 35 and 36 pointing in opposite directions. A pawl 37 co-operateswith ratchet teeth 35 and a pawl 33 cooperates with ratchet teeth 36. V The pawl 37 has a tail piece which is connected by a link 39 with the gate 40, pivoted to the machine frame at 41, so that when the gate is in elevated position as shown in the drawings the pawl 37 is out of engagement with ratchet teeth 35, but when the gate 40 is closed down against the table 1 the pawl 37 will engage the ratchet teeth 35 and thus prevent the ratchet wheel, and consequently the rock shaft 25, from turning in a clockwise direction. Pawl 38 also has a tail piece which is pressed downward to hold the pawl out of en gagement with ratchet teeth 36 by a rod 42 which is carr ed by an arm 43 fixed to a rock shaft 44 (Fig. Shaft 44 also has fixed to it another arm 45 on which is mounted a shoe 46 that extends downward into the path of the blank and is adjustable lengthwise of the arm 45.

Normally the weight of the parts holds the P shoe 46 and the rod 42 down, thus holding pawl 38 out of engagement with the rackteeth 36: A heavy sleeve or weight 47 on rod 42 serves both as an additional weight and as a stop to engage the machine'fralne and end of the blank has reached the shoe 46 or the rear end of the blank has passed out from I under gate 40,. the ratchet wheel 34 will be free to turn in either direction since the shoe 46 has not yet been operated by the blank and the gate 40 rests by gravity on top of the passing blank and so is prevented from drop )ing to the table. Under these circumstances the feeler roll 4 will merely move up and down in response to any irregularities in thickness of the blank without preserving the thickness detections. This is permissible in many classes of work, such as grain insoles where the grading of the heel part is not important. The shoe 46 is adjustable along rod 45 so as to vary the extent of the area whose measurements are not to be registered.

But when the forward end of the blank reaches and lifts shoe 46 the pawl 38 will engage the ratchet teeth 36, as above described, and consequently the ratchet wheel 34 and rock shaft 25 are locked against rotation in response to downward movements of the feeler'roll 4, caused by thicker parts v of the blank, but are free to turn in the opposlte direction in response to upward movements of feeler roll 4, so that as the feeler roll encounters successively thinner spots in the blank the thinness measurement will be transmitted to ratchet wheel 34 and retained by pawl 38.

When the blank progresses far enough for the gate 40 to drop off from the rear end, at

which time practically the entire blank will have passed through the rolls 3 and 4, the pawl 37 will be moved by the gate into engagement with ratchet teeth 35 and the ratchet wheel 34 will now be'locked against movement in either direction. Spring 21 or spring 27, as the case may be, yields if the detector roll 4 thereafter moves in one'di'rection or the other corresponding to the direction against which ratchet wheel 34 is locked by pawl "38 or pawl 37. l/Vhen ratchet wheel 34 and shaft are locked the slide bar 33 actuated vbyshaft 25 is likewise locked.

The detecting mechanism and the setting mechanism for preserving the measurement of the thinnest spot and transmitting it to the slide bar 33, as thus far described, may be essentially the same as in the said Nichols patented machine.

In my application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 577,700, filed July 26, 1922, I have described a fleshing and grading machine which removes from the flesh side of the stock a predetermined amount irrespective of the thickness of different pieces of stock or of irregularities in the thickness of any individual piece of stock.

Some manufacturers however desire to flesh and grade only stock of a thickness between predetermined upper and lower limits; and to grade, as by stamping or marking without fleshing, all pieces of stock below the predetermined lower limit of thickness; and

to even all pieces of stock above the predetermined upper limit of thickness down to such predetermined upper limit of thickness, and

to grade them, as by stamping or marking.

For example, a shoe manufacturer may not want any grain insoles of a grade more than six irons in thickness, and may not want to flesh any soles of a grade under three and one half irons in thickness, but may want all soles from three and one half to six irons in thickness fleshed, and all soles, whether Within these limits or notgraded, as by stamping or marking. It is an important object of this invention to produce a machine capable of accomplishing these results. 7

The slide bar 33, which is adjusted enclwise on the cross head ofthe machine frame in accordance with the thinness detections of the feeler roll 4, adjusts the grade marking wheel, and also the wedge blocks, which limit the separation of the upper skiving roll 16 from the lower roll 17, substantially as shown in said patent and as used in the well known Nichols grading machines. But instead of being fixed to the slide 33, the upper wedge blocks 50, 50, are part of a supplemental wedge bar 51, (Figs. 4 and 5) which is provided at its ends with headed studs 52 extending loosely through holes in slide 33 to support the wedge bar 51 on the slide 33- with provision for limited vertical movement. Opposed to the two wedge blocks 50, 50, are two wedge blocks 53 mounted on a stout cross bar 54, which is fastened to the tops of the journal boxes 55, 55, of the upper roll 16. The journal boxes 55, 55, slide in vertical ways on the machine frame.

Two plungers 56, 56 extend downward through openings in the cross rail 57 of the machine frame and also through slots in the slide 33 into engagement with the top of wedge bar 51. Said plunger-s are made with stop shoulders to engage the topof the cross rail and limit their downward movement, and are pressed downward by a pair of heavy. springs 58, 58, the top ends of which bear against abutments 59 adjustable on the yoke 60.

Normally the slide 33 occupies a position at the limit of its movement toward the left (Fig. 4) with the wedges 5O closest to the wedges 53. An adjustable stop 61 on the end of slide 33 limits the movement of the slide 33 in the opposite direction by abutting against the end frame of the cross head. The stop 29 (Fig. 1) is adjusted to stop the rack bar 29, which is geared to the slide 33, in a position corresponding to the position at which 61 stops the slide 33. The inclined faces of the wedge blocks and 53 are made stepped as is customary in the Nichols machines, so that the pressure exerted between the opposed wedge blocks shall be normal to,

roll 16 by abutting against hardened plates 7 63, 63, on the under side of slide 33 when slide 33 is shifted to the right far enough to separate the wedge blocks 50 and 53 more than a predetermined distance.

The lower skiving roll 17 is mounted on journal boxes 64, 64, which slide in the same vertical ways as the upper journal boxes 55, 55. A cross bar or yoke 65 is fastened to the under sides ofjournal boxes 64 and is supported by massive springs 66, 66, which rest on a cross bar 67 mounted on two screw rods or bolts 68, 68, extending upward through a cross member 69 of the machine frame. See particularly Figs. 4 and 5. The tension of the springs may be adjusted by these bolts. The springs 66 are stiffer than the springs 58, so that in the operation of the machine when a blank passes between rolls 16 and 17 springs 58 will yield before springs 66 will yield. The upward movement of roll 17 is limited by rods 70, 70, threaded into the yoke 65, with their lower ends passing through holes in the cross member 69 of the frame and provided with stop nuts 71 which engage the under side of 69. The rods 70, 70, may be rotated in unison by the worm gears 72, 72, and worms 7 3, 73, on shaft 74 which is turned by a hand wheel 75 at one end to adjust the lower skiving roll 17 relatively to the edge of the knife 18.

The other end of shaft 74 outside of the machine frame has threaded on it a stop member 76, (Figs. 4 and 3) one end of which is made with a hole through which'a pin 77 on the machine frame passes with a sliding fit. The stop member 76 is located between two spaced abutments, consisting as herein shown of a collar 78 and a nut 79. When the shaft 74 is turned in one direction the stop member, which is held against rotation by the pin 77, will be screwed against the collar 78 thus preventing further rotation of the shaft in that direction, and when the shaft 7% is turned in the other direction the stop member 76 will be screwed against the locked nut 79 thus preventing further rotation of the shaft in that direction. Thus the stop member 76 limits the extent of the adjustment of the roll 17 in both directions. And the parts -will be sufficient play orlost motion between gears 72 and worms 73 to permit a slight downward movement of rods 7 0, or, if a very very close fit is made between the gears 72 and worms 73, the downward movement of rods 70 will cause them to turn an inappreciable amount, but they willturn back again when the roller and rods rise again.

Assume now that an inner sole, or other U blank is being fed flesh side downward between rolls 16 and 17. The slide bar 33 and wedge blocks will have been adjusted in one direction or the other in accordance with the thickness of the thinnest spot of the blank as determined by the feeler roll l. During such adjustment the plungers 56 will slide on V the top side of wedge bar 51. The wedge blocks 50 and 53 and associated parts are so proportioned and adjusted that if the detected grade of the blank is within the pre determined limits of thickness for blanks which it is desired to flesh and grade, for example, blanks which are from three and one-half to six irons thick at the thinnest spot, the inclined, stepped surfaces of the opposed wedge blocks will engage each other when the blank lifts the upper skiving roll 16, and as the blank passes between the rolls 16 and 17 the knife 18 will cut off from the flesh side a uniform layer of material of a thickness (usually about one-half iron) depending on the distance between the edge of blade 18 and the lower skiving roll 17 In case the rolls 16, 17 encounter parts of the stock which are thicker than the detected thinnest spot, which determined the adjustment of the wedge blocks 50, 50, the latter will yield upwardly by compressing springs 58, since springs 58 offer less resistance than the lower springs 66, which under these conditions are in effect rigid supports for the lower roll 17. The springs 58 however exert spring pressure on the roll 16 suflicient to hold the stock firmly in cutting relationship to the knife 18 and the lower skiving roll 17. The stock will also be appropriately marked by the stamping wheels hereinafter described.

If the detected grade of the blank is below the predetermined lower limit of thickness of blanks to be fleshed, that is, if in the example assumed it is less than three and onehalf irons thick, the slide 33 and wedge blocks 50 will have been shifted to the left (Fig. 4) to a position in which the flat surfaces 48 and 49 of the wedge blocks are opposed. It will be understood that the parts are so proportioned and adjusted that the normal distance between these surfaces when no blank is between the rolls corresponds to said predetermined lower limit of thickness, three and one-half irons in the assumed example. A blank of less than that thickness will therefore merely lift the roll 16 idly, and as wedge blocks 53 will not engage wedge blocks 50 the springs 58 will exert no pressure on roll 16 and the blank will pass through the rolls without being cut, but will nevertheless be stamped or marked in accordance with its detected grade. In case said thin blank should have spots more than three and one-half irons thick, such thick spots will obviously be fleshed.

If the detected grade of the blank is above the higher limit of thickness of blanks to be fleshed, that is, if the blank grades more than six irons in thickness in the assumed example, the slide 33 will have been shifted to the right during the detecting operation until stopped by the stop screw 61, which is adjusted so as to stop the slide 33 in the position corresponding to the desired predetermined upper limit of thickness, namely, six irons in the example assumed. This will adjust the stamping wheel, which is controlled by the slide 33, so as to mark the blank six irons. When now this thick blank, exceeding the predetermined thickness (say six irons) enters rolls l6 and 17 it will lift the upper roll 16, until the latter is positively stopped by the end stops 62, 62 (which are appropriately adjusted for the desired thickness) abutting against the plates 63, 63, on the under side of slide 33. Thus the roll 16 meets a rigid abutment instead of the yielding abutment provided by spring 58 in the previous case, and consequently the lower roll 17 will be forced downwardly, compressing the heavy lower springs 66, 66. Therefore the skiving knife 18 will out 01f from the under side of the blank all the material in excess of the predetermined thickness (for example six irons) which is determined by the upper roll 16, now rigidly fixed at the limit of its upward movement, and the blank will be evened down to the predetermined thickness and correspondingly stamped.

The skiving or cutting operations herein the blank which is to be channeled and which is the part principally requiring fleshing, and in the case of a blank to be evened it is usually the edge part or margin which is felt of and detected for determining the grade of the blank according to its thinnest spot, and which should be accurately evened to the desired thickness. In either case the perfection of the skiving of the inner area of the blank whether for fleshing or evening, is usually of less importance; indeed it is often desirable that the edges or margins be fleshed or evened with as little loss of leather as possible in middle part of the blank.

To this end I have made a circumferential recess 16 or reduced section at the middle of the upper skiving roll 16 (Fig. 11) about .010 inch, that is, about iron deep, and about 13/ inches wide. The recess 16 is shown somewhat exaggerated in depth in Fig. 11 for the sake of clearness. This recess tapers at each end from the unreduced cylindrical surface of the roller toward the middle of the recess, which is its deepest part, and forms a section of the roller of less diameter than the main cylindrical parts. Obviously,the width ofthe recess should be somewhat less than the width of the blanks, and may be varied according to the width of the blankto be treated, the desired proportions of the recess to the blank being such that the margins only of the blank to the breadth desired shall pass between the unreduced cylindrical surfaces of the roller, and be subjected to the full action of the rollers and knife, while the inner areas of the blank opposite the recess will be subjected to less r pressure by roller 16, and so will be cut to less depth, the plane of said out tapering from the full cut at the margin to the shallowest cut, or-none at all at the center; The depth of the recess 16 may also be varied, but a shallow recess of about the dimensions stated gives admirable results.

Said recess 16 in the upper roller permits the roller to adapt itself more readily to an uneven sole, and results in a more perfect ob of fleshing or evening at the margins, than can be obtained with a cylindrical roller of uniform diameter. It also diminishes the objectionable nipping or pinching of the rounded heel part, or died out or cut sole, as the sole enters the nip of the rollers heel foremost, and also produces no ill effects at the toe of the'sole, which is the following end, when it leaves the rolls. The shape of the recess 16 deepest at the middle and tapering up to the cylindrical surface, is believed to contribute to the utility of this feature, especially in its action on round ended blanks, such as grain insoles cut out with blocking dies. As the leading rounded end of such a sole enters the rollers, its tip is less forciblytprels sed' against;

the lower roll, and the knife, than would be the case if the upper roll were uniformly cylindrical, and consequently the usual tendency of a double bevel knife to gouge into the foremost end of the blank is obviated. Similarly the pressure is relieved on the following rounded end of the blank as it leaves the rolls.

The recessed roller also operates to advantage onother blanks than died out soles, such as counters, on which it is desirable to skive the margins, but leave an extra thickness of material at other points where weight and thickness are desirable for strength.

The grade stamping or marking mechanism is in the main like that shown in said Nichols Patent No. 1,130,321 and commonly used in the Nichols machines, and therefore it need not be described in great detail. It comprises a grade marking wheel 80, provided With appropriate types, carried by a shaft 81, (Fig. 7) journalled in a verticallysliding support or plunger 82 011 which downward pressure is exerted by a spring actuated lever 83. A segmental rack 84 .journalled on the marker support 82 meshes with a pinion 85 on" operating said cam are the same as described in said patent.

Another important feature of the present machine is novel mechanism for opening the gate 40. at apredetermined point in the travel of a blank through the machine, to admit another blank while the preceding blank is be tween the rolls 16 and 17.

In its normal position the gate 40 is held open, or lifted, (Fig. 3) by a short arm 89 fast to the gate shaft and resting on'the upper end of a gate'lifting bar 90, provided at its lower. end with a slot 91, engaging a stud 92 on which the bar can both swing and slide. A spring 93 normally urges the bar 90 toward the right. f A lever 94 fulcrumed to the machine frame has an ofiset 95 at one end engaging the top of arm43, and afpin 96 at the other end engaging the right hand side ofv the shaft of the marker wheel. This rack, and i ment 114. The detcnt 117 projects through the space left by the cut away part of wheel segment 114. As shown in the drawings, there are twenty type projections on the main tannagc wheel 118, and eight type projections on the segment 11 1, the end projection 121 of the segment being left blank opposite the end socket 122. t will be understood that the operator sets the tannage wheels by hand to indicate a batch or run of soles or blanks of any particular tannage, the yielding deten'ts retaining the wheels as set, and that the tannage wheels will remain set and will mark the soles for that tannage until changed by the operator; but the grade measurements of the successive soles will be automatically marked on the soles by the grading wheel in accordance with the grade detections. By using each of the types (twenty in number) of the main tannage wheel 113 in conjunc tion with each of the types (eight in number) of the segment 114, the number of different tannages which can be indicated by the combinations of characters is 160; and by using the main tannage wheel alone in conjunction with the blank 121 of segment 11 1, twenty more identifying marks can be used, making in all 180 different designations for different tannages. Of course this number can be varied at pleasure, within practicable limits, by varying the number of types on the two tannage wheels.

The driving mechanism of the machine may be substantially the same as in existing machines of this character, and therefore requires no detailed description.

The expression, grading means or grading mechanism, as used throughout the specification and claims, is used in the generic sense common to the art to which this invention appertains, unless limited expressly or by the context to some particular form of grading means, and includes all forms of grading de vices (except evening) such as stamping 0r marking, visually indicating, and sorting or distributing.

Evening denotes cutting off a skiving from A one side of a blank of uneven or irregular thickness to reduce the blank to uniform thickness. And fieshmg denotes cutting off a skiving of uniform thickness from the blank without evening it, but leaving the blank with the same unevenness or irregularity of thickness as existed originally. Flashing, strictly speaking, is. cutting off said uniform layer from the flesh side of an unfleshed blank to leave only, or mainly, the strong, firm part of the stock, but precisely the same process can be used, if desired, for splitting a uniform layer from any stock, whether it contains the relatively or not.

I claim 1. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of sucweak and soft so-called flesh layer cessive blanks of stock according to thickness, and mechanism for fieshing only those blanks whose detected grade is within predetermined limits of thickness.

A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness, and mechanism for fieshing only those blanks whose detected grade is within predetermined limits of thickness, and mechanism responsive to said detecting means for grading all blanks.

3. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness in combination with skiving mechanism responsive to the detecting means and organized and constructed to flesh blanks whose detected grade measurement exceeds a predetermined thickness, and to permit the passage of blanks without skiving them whose detected grade measurement is less than said predetermined thickness.

4. A machine of the kind described com prising means for detecting the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness in combination with skiving mechanism responsive to the detecting means and organized and constructed to flesh blanks whose detected grade measurement exceeds a predetermined thickness, and to permit the pas sage of blanks without skiving them whose detected grade measurement is less than said predetermined thickness, and mechanism responsive to said detecting means for grading all blanks.

5. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness in combination with skiving mechanism responsive to the detecting means and organized and constructed to flesh blanks whose detected grade measurement is less than a predetermined thickness, and to even those blanks whose detected grade measurement exceeds cessive blanks of stock according to thickness in combination with skiving mechanism responsive to the detecting means and organized and constructed to flesh blanks whose detected grade measurement is less than a predetermined thickness and to even down to said predetermined thickness those blanks whose detected grade measurement exceeds said predetermined thickness.

7. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness, in combination with skiving mechanism responsive to the detecting means and organizedand constructed to flesh those blanks whose detected grade measurement is between predetermined upper and lower limits of detected grade measurement is less than said predetermined lower lnnlt.

8. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness,

in combination with skiving mechanism responsive to the detecting means and organized and constructed to flesh those blanks whose detected grade measurement is between predetermined upper and lower limits of thickness, to even those blanks down to said predetermined upper limit of thickness whose detected grade measurement exceeds said predetermined upper limit, and to permit the passage of those blanks without skiving them whose detected grade measurement is less than said predetermined lower limit.

9. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the thinnest measurements of successive blanks of stock, in combination with mechanisms for fieshing, and for grading according to said detection, those blanks whose detected grade measurement is between predetermined upper and lower limits of thickness, for grading without fleshing those blanks whose detected grade measurement is less than said predetermined lower limit, and for evening down to said predetermined upper limit of thickness those blanks whose detected thickness exceeds said predetermined upper limit and grading the same as of said upper limit of thickness.

10. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of a blank, combined with skiving mechanism in cluding a splitting knife and two opposed blank engaging members movable toward and from each other, means to exert opposed but unequal yielding pressures on said blank engaging members respectively, including an adjustable abutment, responsive to said grade detecting means, through which the yielding pressure on the blank engaging member subject to the lighter pressure is applied, said abutment being adapted to permit the latter blank engaging member to move away from the'opposed blank engaging member varying distances, according to the adjustment of the abutment, before the pressure is applied through the abutment.

11. A machine of the kind described com- 7 prising means for detecting the grade of a blank, combined with skiving mechanism in eluding a splitting knife and two opposed blank engaging members movable toward and from each other, means to exert opposed 7 but unequal yielding pressures on said blank engaging members respectively, including an adjustable abutment, responsive to said grade detecting means, through which the yielding pressure on the blank engaging member subject to the lighter pressure is applied, said abutment being adapted to permit the latter blank engaging member to move away from the opposed blank engaging member varying distances, according to the adjustment of the abutment, before the pressure is applied through the abutment, and stops to limit the movement of separation of the member subject to the lighter pressure.

12. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the'grade of a blank, combined with skiving mechanism including a splitting knife and two opposed blank engaging members movable toward and from each other, an adjustableabutment responsive tosaid detecting means and a coa-cting abutment on one of said blank engaging members, means to' exert yielding pressure on the latter member when said abutments are in engagement, and means to exert opposed and greater yielding pressure on the other blank engaging member.

13. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of a blank, combined with skiving mechanism including a splitting knife and two opposed blank engaging members movable toward and from each other, an adjustable abutment responsive to said detecting means and a coacting abutment on one of said blank engaging members, means to exert yielding pressure on said adjustable abutment, and

means to exert opposed and greater yielding pressure on the other blank engaging mem- 14:. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of a blank, combined with skiving mechanism including a splitting knife and two opposed blank engaging members, one at least of which is movable toward and from the other,

an adjustable abutment for said movable blank engaging member responsive to said detecting means, and means to exert yielding pressure on said abutment to maintain pressure through said movable blank engaging member on the blank in opposition to the knife and the other blank engaging member.

15. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of a blank, combined with skiving mechanism including asplitting knife and two opposed blank engaging members, one at least of which is movable toward and from the other, an adjustable slide bar responsive to said detecting means, a wedge-like abutment for said movable blank engaging member carried by and movable upon said slide bar, and means to exert yielding pressure on said abutment to maintain pressure through said movable blank engaging member on the blank in opposition to the knife andthe other blank engaging member. V

16. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of a blank, combined with skiving mechanism including a splitting knife and two opposed blank engaging members movable toward and from each other, an adjustable slide bar responsive to said detecting means, a wedgelike abutment for one of said blank engaging members carried by and movable upon said slide bar, means to exert yielding pressure on said abutment to maintain pressure through one of said movable blank engaging members on the blank in opposition to the knife and the other blank engaging member, and means to exert opposed and greater yielding pressure on said other blank engaging member.

17 A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of a blank, combined with skiving mechanism including a splitting knife and two opposed blank engaging members movable toward and from each other, an adjustable slide bar responsive to said detecting means, a wedgelike abutment for one of said blank engaging members carried by and movable upon said slide bar, adjustable stops to limit the movement of said abutment toward the slide bar, means to exert yielding pressure on said abutment to maintain pressure through one of said movable blank engaging members on the blank in opposition to the knife and the other blank engaging member, and means to exert opposed and greater yielding pressure on said other blank engaging member.

18. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of a blank, combined with skiving mechanism including a splitting knife and two opposed blank engaging rollers movable toward and from each other, an adjustable slide bar responsive to said detecting means, a wedge bar carried by the slide bar and movable thereon between the slide bar and the upper roller, one or more spring pressed members extending through slots in the slide bar into engagement with the wedge bar adapted to exert yielding pressure through the upper roller on the blank in opposition to the lower roller and knife, and one or more springs to exert opposed and greater yielding pressure on the lower roller.

19. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of a blank, combined with skiving mechanism including a splitting knife and two opposed blank engaging rollers movable toward and from each other, an adjustable slide bar responsive to said detecting means, a wedge bar carried by the slide bar and movable thereon between the slide bar and the upper roller, adjustable stops to limit the movement of the wedge bar toward the slide bar, one or more spring pressed members extending through slots in the slide bar into engagement with the wedge bar adapted to exert yielding pressure through the upper roller on the blank in opposition to the lower roller and knife, and one or more springs to exert opposed and greater yielding pressure on the lower roller.

20. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of a blank, combined with skiving mechanism including a splitting knife and two opposed blank engaging rollers movable toward and from each other, an adjustable slide bar responsive to said detecting means, a Wedge bar carried by the slide bar and movable thereon between the slide bar and the upper roller, coacting wedge members on the upper roller, the wedge members being constructed and arranged to permit a predetermined upward movement of the upper roll in every position of adjustment of the slide bar without engaging the wedge members, one or more spring pressed members extending through slots in the slide bar into engagement with the wedge bar adapted to exert yielding pres sure through the upper roller on the blank in opposition to the lower roller and knife, and one or more springs to exert opposed and greater yielding pressure on the lower roller.

21. A machine of the kind described com prising means to detect the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness, grading means responsive to the gradedetecting means; means to feed the blanks through the machine, a movable gate in advance of the detecting means, a blank engaging member at the rear of the detecting means actuated by the passage of the blank to control the closing of the gate, delivery rolls at the machine and another blank engaging member in advance of the delivery rolls actuated by the passage of the blank to control both the opening of the gate and the actuation of the grading means.

22. In a machine of the kind described means to feed blanks through the machine, a movable gate in advance of the feeding means, means to open the gate, a member adapted to engage the top of a blank and actuated by the passage of the blank for controlling the closing of the gate, and another member adapted to engage the bottom of the blank and actuated by the passage of the blank for controlling the opening of the gate.

23. In a machine of the kind described means to feed blanks through the machine, a

movable gate in advance of the feeding blank to complete the operation of the gate opening means.

24. In a machine of the kind 7 described means to feed blanks through the machine, a movable gate in advance of the feeding means, means to open the gate, a member independent of the feeding means adapted to engage the top of a blank and actuated by the passage of the blank forcontrolling the closing of the gate, and another. member independent of the feeding means adapted to engage the bottom of the blank, and when depressed by the leading end of the blank, partially to operate the gate opening means, and when released by the complete passage of the blank, to complete the operation of the gate opening means,

In a machine of the kind described,

means to feed blanks through the machine,

a movable gate in advance of the feeding means, gate opening mechanism including a gate lifter, a blank engaging member inclependent of the feeding means actuated by the passage of the blank for controlling the closing of the gate, and another blank engaging member independent of the feeding means actuated by the leading part of the blank during its passage to set said gate lifter in operative position with-relation to the gate and actuated by the complete passage of the blank to raise the gate lifter and open the gate.

26. In a machine of the kind described, means to feed blanks through the machine, a movable gate in advance of the feeding means, gate opening mechanism including a gate lifter, a blank engaging member independent of the feeding means actuated by the passage of the blank for controlling the closing of the gate, and another blank engaging member independent of the feeding means adapted to engage the bottom of the blank and, when depressed by the leading end of the blank during its passage, to set said gate lifter in operative position with relation to the gate, and when released by the complete passage of the blank, to raise the gate lifter and open the gate.

. 27. In a machine of the kind described means to feed blanks through the machine, a movable gate in advance of the feeding J I means, gate opening mechanism including a gate lifter, a movable member adapted to engage the top ofa blank and actuated by the passage of the blank thereunder, a lever operated by said blank engaging member to move said gate lifter to inoperative position and allow the gate to close, a second movable member adapted to engage the bottom of the blank and actuated by the passage of the blank thereover, and means controlled by said second blank engaging member to move said gate lifter again to operative position and to raise the same and open the gate.

28, In a machine of the kind described means to feed blanks through the machine, a

movable gate in advance of the feeding means, gate opemng mechanism 1nclud1ng a gate lifter, a movable member adapted to engage the top of a blank and actuated by the passage of the blank thereunder, a lever operated by said blank engaging member to move said gate lifter to inoperative position and allow the gate to close, a second movable member adapted to engage the bottom of the blank and actuated by the passage of the blank thereover, and means controlled by said second blank engaging member when the latter is depressed by the leading end of the blank during its passage torestore said gate lifter to operative position with relation to the gate, and when said second blank engaging member is released by the complete passage of the blank to raise the gate lifter and open the gate. 1 I

29. A machine of the kind described comprising means to detect the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness, grading means responsive to the grade detecting means, means to feed the blanks through the machine, a movable gate in advance of the detecting means, gate opening mechanism including a gate lifter, a blank engaging member at the rear of the detecting means actuated by the passage of a blank to move the lifter to inoperative position and allow the gate to close, delivery rolls at the rear of the machine and another blank engaging member in advance of the delivery rolls actuated by the passage of blank adapted both to control the actuation of the grading means, and to cause the lifter to return to its operative position and to open the gate.

30. A machine of the kind described comprising means to detect the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness, grading means responsive to the grade detecting means, means to feed the blanks through the machine including delivery rollers, a movable gate in advance of the detective means, Y

a blank engaging member actuated by the passage of the blank to control the closing of the gate, and another member adapted to engage the bottom of the blank, located between the first blank engaging member and the delivery rolls, to control the opening of the gate.

31. A machine of the kind described comprising means to detect the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness, grading means responsive to the grade detecting means, means to feed the blanks through the machine including delivery sellers, a movable gate in advance of the detecting means, a blank engaging memberactuated by the passage of the blank to control the closing of the gate, and another member adapted to engage the bottom of the blank, located between the first blank engaging member and the delivery rolls to control both the opening of the gate and the actuation of the grading means.

32. A machine of the kind described comprising means to detect the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness, grading means responsive to the grade detecting means, means to feed the blanks through the machine including delivery rollers, a movable gate in advance of the detecting means, gate opening mechanism, a blank engaging member actuated by the passage of the blank to control the closing of the gate, and another member adapted to engage the bottom of the blank, located between the first blank engaging member and the delivery rolls adapted when depressed by the fore part of a blank partially to operate the gate opening mechanism and when released by the complete passage of the blank to complete the operation of the gate opening mechanism.

33. A machine of the kind described comprising means to detect the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness, grading means responsive to the grade detecting means, means to feed the blanks through the machine including delivery rollers, a movable gate in advance of the detecting means, gate opening mechanism, a blank engaging member actuated by the passage of the blank to control the closing of the gate, and another member adapted to engage the bottom of the blank, located between the first blank engaging member and the delivery rolls, adapted when depressed by the fore part of a blank to operate the grading means and partially to operate the gate opening mechanism, and when released by the complete passage of the blank to complete the operation of the gate opening mechanism.

34. In a machine of the kind described, skiving mechanism including a skiving knife, a skiving roller movable relatively to the knife, means yieldingly to press the roller toward the knife, means to limit the movement of the roller toward the knife, and means to adjust said limiting means, including stops, to determine the extreme limits of the adjustment.

35. In a machine of the kind described, skiving mechanism including a skiving knife, a skiving roller movable relatively to the knife, means yieldingly to press the roller toward the knife, an adjustable rod to limit the movement of the roller toward the knife, a rotatable adjusting shaft to adjust said rod, and a stop member threaded on said shaft and held against rotation therewith adapted to limit the extent of rotation of the shaft.

36. In a machine of the kind described, skiving mechanism including a skiving knife, a skiving roller movable relatively to the knife, means yieldingly to press the roller toward the knife, an adjustable rod to limit the movement of the roller toward the knife,

a rotatable adjusting shaft to adjust said rod, a stop member threaded on said shaft and held against rotation therewith, and a pair of abutments, oneat each side of the stop member, adapted to engage said stop member on opposite sides to limit the extent of rotation of the shaft in both directions.

37. In a machine of the character de scribed, means to detect the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness, a skiving knife, a lower skiving roller, an upper skiving roller responsive to the grade detecting means, and means yieldingly to press the upper roller toward the lower roller and knife, the upper roller having a circumferentially reduced section somewhat narrower than the blank to be operated upon, and tapering from the unreduced cylindrical parts of the roller toward the middle of the reduced section.

38. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of successive blanks of stock according to thickness in combination with skiving mechanism and means cooperating with the skiving mechanism to cause the latter to even any blank or part of a blank exceeding a predetermined maximum limit of thickness down to said limit.

39. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of a blank, combined with skiving mechanism including a splitting knife and two opposed blank engaging members movable toward and from each other, an adjustable slide bar responsive to said detecting means, a wedge-like abutment carried by and mov-- able upon said slide bar, a co-acting abutment carried by one of said blank engaging members, adjustable stops carried by the last named blank engaging member to limit the movement thereof toward the slide bar, means to exert yielding pressure on said first abutment to maintain pressure through one of said blank engaging members on the blank in opposition to the knife and the other blank engaging member, and means to exert opposed and greater yielding pressure on said other blank engaging member. v

40. A machine of the kind described comprising means for detecting the grade of a blank, combined with skiving mechanism including a splitting knife and two opposed blank engaging rollers movable toward and from each other, an adjustable slide bar responsive to said detecting means, a wedge bar carried by the slide bar and movable thereon between the slide bar and the upper roller, adjustable stops carried by the upper roller to limit the movement thereof toward the slide bar, one or more spring pressed members extending through slots in the slide bar into engagement with the wedge bar adapted to exert yielding pressure through the upper its.

roller on the blank in opposition to the lower roller and knife, and one or more springs to exert opposed and greater yielding pressure on the lower roller.

Signed by me at Manchester, New I-Iampshire, this 10th day of June, 1924.

LEANDER A. COGSWELL. 

